BAYS Guest Player Policy

BAYS Guest Player Policy

Valid for: G3, G4, G5, G6, G8, G10, and G12/PG age groups 

Overview: 

The BAYS Guest Player Policy provides teams the flexibility to field a team each week so that players can play soccer games as scheduled. It is NOT intended to increase a team’s competitive advantage or fill a particular skill position that happens to be absent. It is NOT intended for emergencies, but for use in filling in for planned absences of players throughout the season. The Guest Player Policy is only valid during the regular season. 

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to help reduce the number of regular season games not played due to teams not having enough players available to play the official game as scheduled. This policy can be used for both scheduled and rescheduled regular season games. Additionally, it may create flexibility when teams have smaller rosters due to player registration numbers. 

Players should prioritize the game for their “assigned” team. A player may be a guest player in only one additional game per day, if their primary team also has a game scheduled. 

Guest Player Parameters per season 

Guest player guidelines and limits:

  1. Players should prioritize playing on their assigned team over being a guest player. 
  2. It is at the discretion of each club choosing to use Guest Players to determine if the club wants to limit the number of times a specific player may play as a guest player. (see BAYS recommendations below)
  3. There are no Guest Players allowed in BAYS Playoffs, Presidents’ Cup or MTOC.
    1. The Roster Freeze date for MTOC remains as announced by the BAYS Registrar.
  4. Only four (4) Guest Players may play on one team in a given game.

Recommended Player Count Limits when a Guest Player is used:

The recommended total number of players playing for a team using guest players: 

  • Grades 3 and 4 and Grade 912 (7 v 7): 11 players
  • Grade 5 and 6 (9 v 9): 13 players
  • Grades 8 through 12/PG (11 v 11): 15 players

Playing Up/Playing Down Rules

Guest Player requirements are:

  1. Guest players must be from the same club organization and rostered on a current season BAYS team.
  2. Players cannot play down in a lower Division or Section or lower Grade Group.
  3. Players can play up or in the same Division/Section in their own grade group.
    • E.g.: Players in Grade 8 3F can play on another 3F team (for the same club) or on any of their club’s teams placed in a section above 3F.
  4. Players can play up one grade group level at the same or above Division as their current grade Division. 
    • Exception: Players have to be at least 11 years old and in grade 6 to play on teams in Grade 8.
    • E.g.: Players in Grade 5 3F can play on any Grade 6 Division 3 team (for the same club) or on any of their club’s teams placed above in a higher division than Division 3.
    • E.g.: Team in Grade 6 4G can solicit Guest Players from any of their club’s teams that play in Grade 5 Division 4
  5. MR 2 applies. 

How is the Playing Up Process at the Game Field Handled?

The following needs to occur when a coach uses a Guest Player in their game.

  1. The coach must provide the referee at the field with two copies of their official game roster and two copies of any official roster listing any Guest Player(s). The referee should give the opposing coach their copy of all the rosters provided. The opposing coach should keep these rosters. Coaches are responsible for making sure that all players playing in the current game are listed with a unique jersey number prior to providing the rosters to the referee.
    1. Assigned Team Roster: All players on the assigned team roster who are NOT playing in the current game should be crossed out.
    2. Guest Player Roster(s): All players NOT playing in the current game EXCEPT the Guest Player(s) should be crossed out.
    3. Referees must use the rosters to check the players in. They should treat Guest Players meeting the above requirements as fully rostered and eligible for the match and report any issues or events related to those players in the same fashion as any other player in their game report. It is not the responsibility of the referee to verify that the guest players meet the policy requirements－That is the responsibility of the coach.
    4. Coaches should write in the current game’s ID# on all of the rosters handed to the referees.
    5. Referees must add to their game report (check a box) that the Guest Player Policy was used to allow guest players to play in the game on a particular team.
    6. Referees check in players on the rosters provided. If the rostered players are questioned, it is the Division Director, or Grade Director, as needed, who will determine the outcome of the game. Referees need to keep all rosters for all games until the end of the season.

How and by whom is the Playing Up Process Administratively Handled?

Each individual BAYS member Club is responsible for setting up their process for using Guest Players. Processes should include some notification to coaches that a player on their team is being used as a Guest Player.

To meet the roster requirements on game day, coaches need to obtain a copy of the Guest Player’s current roster so that they can present two paper copies of that roster to  the referee. Clubs need to have an internal process for their coaches to get access to their other teams’ rosters, since Division Directors/BAYS will not provide them.

Consequences if the above Policy is not followed

The following actions may (shall) be taken if the above policy is not followed:

  • If an ineligible player is played during a game (even with referee consent), the game will be forfeited.
  • BAYS Clubs and coaches are bound by MR1 the Honor System and expected to act with good sportsmanship.

Recommendations

  • Try not to have the same players selected to be Guest Players. Spread out the experience. Consider limiting to three the number of times per season that a player may be a Guest Player.
  • Players should not play in more than two games per day.
  • Communicate clearly to all of your parents and players about the purpose of this system.
  • The purpose of the Guest Player policy is not to encourage clubs to enter teams with fewer players, so that the team could not function on its own. Consider having at least the minimum number of players on the official roster for teams as suggested below:
    • Grades 3 and 4 and Grade 912 (7 v 7): 10 players
    • Grade 5 and 6 (9 v 9): 12 players
    • Grades 8 through 12/PG (11 v 11): 14 players

 

Don’t abuse it! The policy is not to be used to gain a competitive edge!

BAYS Guest Player Policy Task Force Members:

Dick Penta - Chair / Norwood

David Dalrymple - BAYS League Registrar

Rob Devaney- Needham

Gesse Faber - Watertown / Referee Director

Jason Karlin - Milford-Hopedale

Matt Koch - Medfield

Jeremy Rothschild - Bellingham

Joshua Siegal- Canton

Jeremy Solomons - South End / Referee Director

Evelyn Somers - BAYS League Administrator

Reg Wilcox - Millis / BAYS Past President

 

Provided by

Dick Penta

RHP/rhp 02/10/2025